Kosovo prime minister, UNMIK chief oppose division of Kosovo
29/11/2005
Serbian President Boris Tadic's idea of partitioning Kosovo has further ruffled feathers as the difficult process of resolving the province's status gets under way.
By Blerta Foniqi for Southeast European Times in Pristina – 29/11/05
Serbian President Boris Tadic's proposal to divide Kosovo along ethnic lines contradicts international community principles, including those set by the Contact Group, Kosovo Prime Minister Bajram Kosumi said Friday (25 November). His response was backed by UNMIK chief Soren Jessen-Petersen, who ruled out any division of the province.
"We can assure the people of Kosovo that one of the guiding principles of the Contact Group is that there will be no division. The Contact Group has not changed its principles, neither is it going to change them," Jessen-Petersen said. He added that key international institutions have repeatedly voiced opposition to any kind of partition.
"Most recently [UN special envoy Martti] Ahtisaari has also confirmed it to me during his visit here," he said.
On Thursday, Tadic officially outlined his plan for dividing Kosovo into Albanian-run and Serbian-run parts. Both would remain part of Serbia, but one would enjoy full autonomy while the other would be closely tied to Belgrade.
Ahtisaari was in the Serbia-Montenegrin capital last week as part of his fact-finding tour of the region. During talks, Tadic presented his plan. In Pristina, Kosumi quickly condemned the idea as an "extremist" solution.
With Ahtisaari's appointment and his subsequent visit to the region, the process of resolving Kosovo's status is now officially under way. The path is expected to be a rocky one, given the highly polarised stances of both sides. It is unclear if Ahtisaari can bridge the extreme stances, and start talks in January, as he planned.
Jessen-Petersen, meanwhile, has vowed that UNMIK will work closely with Kosovo's provisional institutions during the status negotiations to support implementation of standards, decentralisation and all other requirements, without prejudging the outcome of the talks.
"The institutions of Kosovo have expressed readiness for a continuance of the international presence," Jessen-Petersen said Friday.
